Tobacco product



s g :r hilt? tees es:

ldaiented Bee. 3, 1963 Greensboro, any, New V This invention relates to improvements in tobacco prodnets, and it relates particularly to novel smoking tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and the like, having improved physiological properties.

it has been established that tobacco srn ke inhibits the activity of the ciliated, mucus-secreting epithelial tissues of the respiratory tract. Cilia of these tissues have the function of dislodging and discharging solid particles, such as dust particles, from the respiratory tract. When the activity of the cilia is inhibited by tobacco smoke, the smoke particles including tobacco tar particles, pass by the less active or quiescent oils and collect and accumulate in the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract.

During non-smoking periods, the original activity of the cilia is regained and in these circumstances, some, but not necess rily all of the foreign matter entering the lungs and respiratory tract is dislodged.

it occurred to us that if the cilia remained sctiv during aroma e smoking, the smoker could still enjoy the flavor and of the tobacco smoke but a substantially increased proportion of the tobacco smoke particles would be discharged by the cilia and the amount or the particles remaining and accumulating in the lungs and other portions of the respiratory tract would be correspondingly reduced. To that end, we have tested many compounds to determine Whether, when added to tobacco, they would overcome the inhibiting action of the tobacco smoke on the cilia.

in accordance with the present invention, we found that a small quantity of citric acid added to tobacco neutralizes totally or in part the inhibiting action of the tobacco smoke on the cilia of the respiratory This discovery is surprising for the reason that tobacco normalcontains a certain amount of citric acid or citrates and nus it would not be expected that the addition of citric acid to tobacco would alter the inhibiting action of the tobacco smoke. However, it is known that most, if not all, of the citric acid originally present in tobacco does not occur as the free acid.

Citric acid, in the form or" a dilute aqueous or alcoholic solution, can be added readily to natural leaf tobacco by praying the solution on the tobacco or immersing the to *acco in the solution of the acid. If desired, citric acid can be added to or included in other tobacco additives,

uch as, for example, flavoring ingredients, casings, humecants and the like, which are normally added to cigarette, pipe or cigar tobaccos.

By way of example of the process, a cigarette tobacco of a suitable blend is sprayed with an aqueous solution containing about 10% citric acid to add to the tobacco about 1% by Weight of citric acid. Moreover, the total amount of citric acid can be varied but it appears that l is the optimum as well as about the minimum amount. While citric acid be added in very much greater amounts, for example, as much as 5% to 10% by Weight, the efl'ect on ciliary activity is not noticeably improved and the flavor of the tobacco smoke may be adversely ailected.

The action of the citric acid cannot be explained as one of removal of or reaction with the inhibiting components of the tobacco for none of them appears to be removed or for that mater, appears to react with the citric acid. So far as can be determined, all of the components of the tobacco smoke remain together with the products that are formed from added citric acid which appear to serve as cilia stimulants of greater activity than the inhibiting agent or agents in the tobacco smoke and offset totally or in peat their inhibiting activity.

While, as indicated above, about 1% of added citric acid by weight in the tobacco is the optimum amount necessary for achieving the desired result, it will be understood that this amount may be varied within the aforementioned limits, so long as the inhibiting action of the tobacco smoke on the cilia is decreased.

We claim:

1. In a smoking tobacco product consisting essentially of natural leaf tobacco, the improvement which comprises about 1% of added citric acid by Weight of the leaf tobacco being dispersed throughout said leaf tobacco.

2. In a smoking tobacco product consisting essentially of natural leaf smoking tobacco, the improvement which comprises at least about 1% of citric acid by Weight of said leaf smoking tobacco intermixed with said leaf tobacco as a stimulant for ciliary activity to neutralize at least partially inhibiting action of tobacco smoke on ciliary activity.

3. in a cigarette consisting essentially of natural leaf smoking tobacco encased in a wrapper, the improvement which comprises at least about 1% of citric acid by Weight s tobacco in said ci arette intermixed with said tobacco as a stimulant for cil-iary activity to neutralize at least partially the inhibiting action of tobacco smoke on ciliary activity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS Belling Nov. 28, 1922 Kauffrnan Feb. 22, i938 Wells et al. Jan. 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,157,6t8 France Dec. 3, i957 

2. IN A SMOKING TOBACCO PRODUCT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF NATURAL LEAF SMOKING TOBACCO, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST ABOUT 1% OF CITRIC ACID BY WEIGHT OF SAID LEAF SMOKING TOBACCO NTERMIXED WITH SAID LEAF TOBACCO AS A STIMULATN FOR CILIARY ACTIVITY TO NEUTRALIZE AT LEAST PARTIALLY INHIBITING ACTION OF TOBACCO SMOKE ON CILIARY ACTIVITY. 